Guild M20 Legacy

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Hello, Fellow Guild Members!

I've always loved owning things that not everyone else has. While Gibsons and Martins are superb guitars, owning a nice Guild has always a cool alternative. Anyway, here's my Guild story:

In 2000-2001, I purchased a beautiful Guild M20 (like the F20, but with a Mahogany top), which was ordered for me by my local music store. I was interested in it because of my love of Nick Drake's guitar tone who (may have) played an M20 (people debate it, though). The instrument has a wonderful "dead" sound which, as a fingerpicker, I really like. It sounds like a coffee table with strings. But I like that.

The tag inside reveals that the guitar was made in Westerly, RI, serial # FA101022.

Now, this is what I was told by the salesperson (who I knew rather well): this was around the time that Guild was bought (by Fender?), and I was told that this particular M20 was the last M20 to be built in Westerly, before they moved the operation. I was also told that this M20 had been on display at NAMM, and that Guild's CEO had had it on display in his office for months before it was finally sold -- to me.

Obviously, no one out there will be able to say, "Yeah, Mike! That's absolutely true!" But what I am wondering is if the serial number reveals if it was indeed one of the last M20s to be made in RI -- if that is self-evident in the numbers. I downloaded Guild's dating document, and didn't even see any serial number ranges for these years -- they are skipped over.

Also, I'd love to hear from any other M20 devotees out there. Thanks!
Photo-on-1-26-14-at-11.02-PM.jpg


Photo-on-1-26-14-at-11.02-PM-2.jpg
 

jeffcoop

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That's a beautiful guitar. I'd love to hear it--I have an older F20,and I've played my stepmother's GAD-M20, but I imagine that your has a different voice from both of those.
 

AcornHouse

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Welcome to the forum, Mike!

Nice M-20. Hopefully Hans will be along to answer your questions. (If anyone would know, it'll be him.)
 

Watasha

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Very cool. I love the fact that it has the classic Guild pickguard shape as most seem to have teardrop pickguards.
 

Westerly Wood

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wonderful old Guild. That sticker says it was from Westerly. I love the hog topped Guilds, i have a 71 D25. big sound but great fingerpicking guitar. welcome to the LTG.
 

hansmoust

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In 2000-2001, I purchased a beautiful Guild M20 (like the F20, but with a Mahogany top), which was ordered for me by my local music store. I was interested in it because of my love of Nick Drake's guitar tone who (may have) played an M20 (people debate it, though). The instrument has a wonderful "dead" sound which, as a fingerpicker, I really like. It sounds like a coffee table with strings. But I like that.

The tag inside reveals that the guitar was made in Westerly, RI, serial # FA101022.

Now, this is what I was told by the salesperson (who I knew rather well): this was around the time that Guild was bought (by Fender?), and I was told that this particular M20 was the last M20 to be built in Westerly, before they moved the operation. I was also told that this M20 had been on display at NAMM, and that Guild's CEO had had it on display in his office for months before it was finally sold -- to me.

Obviously, no one out there will be able to say, "Yeah, Mike! That's absolutely true!" But what I am wondering is if the serial number reveals if it was indeed one of the last M20s to be made in RI -- if that is self-evident in the numbers. I downloaded Guild's dating document, and didn't even see any serial number ranges for these years -- they are skipped over.

Hello Mike,

Welcome! Your M-20 with serial # FA101022 was part of the last batch of M-20s that were made at the Westerly plant. There's no way of knowing if the guitar was indeed the last one made; it is not the last serial number that was documented in the ledgers.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

Westerly Wood

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It's a Westerly, so you got that going for you, which is nice...

coffee table with strings, LOL
 

killdeer43

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WELCOME TO LTG!
That's a great looking "coffee table" you have there. It would look good in my living room.

At this point, you've already heard from Hans so just sit back and enjoy your time here. :applause:

Joe
 
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Thanks, guys. And thanks, Hans, for confirming that my M20 was indeed in the last batch of Westerlys. I tried to post this link yesterday, but may have screwed it up, so I'll post it again if anyone wants to hear the guitar in action.

These recordings were from 2001, just a few days after I bought it. It had not even been properly set up, hence the jangliness: https://soundcloud.com/michael-nace/sets/the-voyage-out

Home-recorded stuff from 2008 with amateur audio gear (el cheap-o MXL microphones, Mackie preamp, Garageband): https://soundcloud.com/michael-nace/sets/nace-demos

Any recommendations from you Guild gurus on a good second Guild model, and something that would be a total tonal departure from the M20, but still viable for a fingerpicker?
 
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Maybe, Joe. Also, aside from Mahogany, has Guild ever experimented with any other tone woods for the top other than Spruce? I'm always been interested in some of the cedar tops out there (Seagull, and I know Epiphone was doing a Masterbilt with a cedar top), but the manufacturers who make them don't really excite me, as I'd like to get a U.S.-made guitar.
 
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I have found mid to late 60s Guild dreds are great for fingerstyle.

D35 and D 40 spruce over hog. These are pretty balanced sounding and the larger body gives some depth.

Also an F20. Same sized body, twangy sound. Might be too similar for what you are asking.
 
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Love it, Ralf! Yeah, I'm fairly convinced that the M20 above is the one that he used on the recordings, only because my M20 sounds remarkably like the guitar on his albums. I have heard others question it, though; it's almost the same story as Robert Johnson and the Gibson L-1 he is pictured with, as people say he actually played a Kalamazoo and only posed with that guitar.

I've also read that Drake used gut strings on his M20. Hard to tell from the photo, but I guess it's possible.
 
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